Means for protecting vessels from projectiles.



A. CAMPANARO.

MEANS FOR PROTECTING VESSELS FROM PROJECTILES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26. 1917,

Patented DEG-11,1911".

2 SHEET SSHEET l.

A. CAMPANARO. I MEANS FOR PROTECTIN G VESSELS FROM PROJECTILES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26,1917" Patented Dec. 11, 1917.

2 SHEETS -SHEET 2.

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en sa aries .rrr ar ANTONIO CAMPANARO, 0F TBENTO1\T, new messy.

MEANS FOR PROTECTING VES SELS EROM- dis ase-e.

To allwhom it may concern.

'Be it known thatl, ANTONIO CAMPANARo, a citizen of the United states,and ELIGSI- Qdent 01","Irent0n county of Mercer, State ofNevvderseyahave invented certain new and useful'lmprovements in Meansfor Pro tecting Vessels irom Projectiles, of which thefollowing is aspecification.

The present invention relates to improvemerits, in meansfor protectingvessels from projectiles being adapted to be utilized toavardogfftorpedoes orlif arranged to extend over the deckjto preventfalling projectiles or bombs from striking the vessel. "In theaccompanyingdrawings, the invention is shown embodied'in a form adaptedtOprotecta vessel fromtorpedoes and in such, drawings,

,Figure '1 is a side elevation of a vessel having one embodiment oftheinvention applied thereto;

" Fig. 2 "1s a transverse vertical sectional view Fig.3 1s a faceV1BWTOIL an enlarged scale, of the connect1on betwee1 1 1 the supportlng"frame and guard net aisifan elevation of aportion of the I ;Fig."5Jis'a sectional view of theparts ashqw a Fig- ;'I* ig."6 is a detailplan view Fig. "7 is an endelevation of one "of the upp rting ame wal[for adjusting" thejlockby which the guard "Fig. 8lillustrates in sideelevation'and front view a device Which may'be employed is normallymaintained-in position for use.

TReferringto tliedrawings, it will be seen guards or shieldscomprises anet-like body whichis supported from a frameadaptedfto be detachablyattached to the vessel and which can be readily placed in position orremoved, as desired. :As shown, each frame comprises two -parallel'ibarsA: which are provided at one end with means for securing them to thedeck or sides of a vesseland'to which, adjacent lJhG-OPPOSIEG orfreeends tjhereof the guard-net or shieldproper is cted by a suitablehinge-like oint.

The barsA arepreferablymade inthe form will contact 'withthe sides ordeck of the vessel as the frames are moved to and from 'and preventinginjury to the parts. redsB may be sur'rounded by spacing thimbles .or'sleeves B, as shown in Fig. 3.

to the vessel in any suitable manner. shown, each of them is providednear one p ific of Ledershten Patented Dee. ill, 1% W. Application filedJuly 26, 1917. SeriaLNo. 132,951. I

:the sides of a vessel they are separated some distance therefrom. Saidbars are connected by suitable tie rods B on the outer ends of whlch maybe mounted rollers C which position thus assisting in such movement SaidThe side framebars A may be attached As end-with a suitable openingadapted to re celvea staple-llke member 1) rising from the *declrofthevessel and a rod or bar E is ;passed through said staples above the barsA and suitably locked in position to hold the :parts in the desiredrelation to the- .vessel.

I In the embodimentof the invention illustrated, one of the longitudinalmembers F of the mar-ginal frame of the guard or net proper is mountedinsuitable bearings'onx: the'supporting bars A and a coil spring G 'isplaced around-this framemember, one'end oi 'said spring being. connectedwith the bar A and the other w-itha side member .ofthe netframe so thatthe net constantly tends to assume a position at a relatively wideangle'to the "bars A. Gables H connected withthewframe of the net,passing over suitableguide pulleys. on the bars Aland extending to the'deckof the vesselare provided for vmoving; the net into a positionparallel towthe plane of the bars A and placing thet springs G undertension.

Tothe deck of the vesselarehlnged, guide tubes 1 through which thecables Hextend, 1 said cables being provided. at their free endswithstops H of such size that they cannot pass through the tubes- 1. Thehinges hby whioh said cable tubes are connected to the deck of. thevesselare arranged atone side "thereof and atthe other side each tubeisprovidedwith. a haspi adapted to engage a suitablestaple rising fromthe deck so that normal1y1theportions ofthe cablesthat extend overythevessels. deckare concealed andiprotected. il/Vhen it isdesired todrawkthe net intolthe; position .indicated in full lines inthedravvings, the proper tubeszl are disconnected frornithe deck staplesand turned about their hinges h exposing the cables and permitting themto be readily manlpulated, as required.

To retain the nets-in operative. position, a-

suitable locking means is provided. As

shown, this consists ofa hook or latch mem-' I springs G whichconstantly tend to swing the net outwardlyaboutitshinge-like connectionwith said frame.

Preferably the members forming the .b'ody of-the net or guardareprovided with resilient tubular coverings L which will act to more orless cushion the blow of a projectile striking the net. The variousparts are so proportioned that. the openings or meshes in the net arenot large enough to permitthe passage of'aprojectile and it will be seenthat with the parts arranged as showninFigs. 1 and 2, when the net isstruck, the-slight rearward movement of the-free end thereof willdisengage the hook or latch. K, which will fall by gravity,

and the springsG will instantly act to force athe net outwardly into theposition indiwith it and preventing its striking the body of the vesseleven shouldit be ableto penetrate the net. In order to enable thenet toi be readily restored to its1oper'ative position,

itisneeessary to'provide means for limiting the invention illustrated byproviding I; guards M on the supporting frame bars A,

p cess ve amount of power is not required to each ofsaid guards having astop member T M that extends into the path of a member of the net and.prevents the latter from falling below the plane of its pivotal axis,when the parts are arranged as shown in the drawings. With thisarrangement an exdraw in the cables H to restore the net to upper edgesof the nets are at or about the.

the position represented in full lines.

If the device is employed as shown for protecting vessels from a torpedoattack,- the parts are so proportioned that normally the water line andextend to below the plane of I the heel of the vessel.

As the books or latches K may be submerged, an implement, such as thatshown in Fig. 8, maybe employed to raise such latches into position toengage the net after the cables have been manipulated to restore it to.normal posiflar pivotally connected members N, the

lower ends'of which are provided with latj erally deflected prongs O.

tion. This implement. comprises two simigrasped and caused to extendthrough an I I With such an. implement-the hook K may be readily.

opening P formed by notches in the inner edges of the members N and whenso engaged can be easily lifted in position to e11- gage the net afterwhich the tongue-like implement can be easily disengaged therefrom.

It is believed that .theoperation and advantages of the invention willbe readily understood and appreciated. It will be seen that the framebars A may be quickly placed in position and securely connected with thevessel as the frames need not be excessively large'the number thereofdepending upon the length of the vessel or the portion thereof which itis desired to protect. If desired, supplemental braces Q may beinterposed between the walls of the vessel and the frame members A.

Having described the invention what is claimed 1s:-

1. The combination with a vessel, of a 'when the net is struck by aprojectile. cated in dotted lines, carrying the pro ectile p The.combination with a vessel, of a frame having its upper end connected tothe vesseland extending over the side thereof to "below the water line,a guard net or shield having its lower end connected with the frame by ahinge-like joint, a spring interposed between the frame and net andacting to turn the latter about its connection with the frame, means forturning the net into a substantially vertical position against theaction of the spring, and .means for holding the net in such uprightposition-adapted to be automatically released when the net is struck bya projectile.

- 3. The combination with a vessel, of a frame, including two parallel.members attached at their upper ends to the vessel and 7 extending overthe side thereof to below the waterline, androds connectmg and bracing vsaid members, a guard net or shleld having its lower end connected withsaid frame by means permitting it to swin about a substantiallyhorizontal axis, coiled springs be tween the frame and net acting toswing the latter outward and downward, means for limiting the downwardmovement of the net, and means for holding the net in asubstantiallyupright position against the action of the springs and tobe automatically released when the net is struck by a projectile,

4:. The combination with avessel, of a frame connected at one end to thevessel, a, guard net or shield connected with the frame atone end by ahinge-like joint permitting it to swing away from the Vessel,

a spring acting to swing the net outwardly, a cable connected with thenet and guided by the frame for moving the net in opposition to thespring, and means for holding the net in position to maintain the springunder tension adapted to be automatically released when the net isstruck by a projectile.

5. The combination with a vessel, of two substantially parallel barseach attached at one end to the vessel, a guard net or shield having oneof its frame members mounted in bearings on said bars whereby the netmay swing away from the bars outward of the vessel, coiled springsattached to said bars and frame of the net and acting to swing the netoutward from the vessel, a stop on each bar for limiting the outwardswing of the net, means for turning the net in opposition to thesprings, and means for holding the net in position to maintain thesprings Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the to Washington, D. 0.

the spring under tension adapted to be automatically released when thenet is struck by a projectile.

7 A projectile guard for vessels comprising a metal net having more orless of its members provided with resilient coverings,

. a projectile.

8. A projectile guard for vessels comprise ing a frame formed ofsubstantially parallel bars adapted to be attached at one end to avessel and connected by suitable tie bars or rods, rollers attached tosaid frame for contacting with the vessel as the frame is moved to andfrom operative position, a net hinged at one edge to the frame, a springacting to swing the net outwardly from the supporting frame, means formoving the net in opposition to the spring, and means for holding thenet in position to maintain the spring under tension adapted to beautomatically released when the net is struck by a projectile.

In testlniony whereof I aflix my signature.

ANTONIO CAJSIPANARO.

winner at Watenta,

